HPV Vaccination Information for Health Professionals

The HPV vaccine helps protect against 6 types of cancer. It prevents infection by high-risk types of human papillomavirus, or HPV, that cause the majority of cervical, vaginal, vulvar, anal, penile, and oropharyngeal cancers (cancers of the throat and tongue) and genital warts. The American Cancer Society is on a mission to help prevent HPV cancers by working in partnership with health professionals and organizations in the United States and around the world.

Each year, more than 33,000 men and women are diagnosed with HPV-related cancers – cancers that can largely be prevented through vaccination. While more than half of boys and girls in the U.S. get the first dose of the HPV vaccine, too many fail to get the full vaccination series. This means they are not getting the protection against cancer that the vaccine provides.

We work at the national, state, and community level to increase HPV vaccination uptake through education, awareness, and partnerships. Our initiatives seek to advance best practices, support clinic-based interventions, and increase collaboration and leadership among key partners to push the prioritization of the vaccine.

Providers can access materials to champion quality improvement initiatives in their practice.

Health systems can build workflows to make sure there are no missed opportunities.

Public health professionals can use our HPV information and take action through the National HPV Vaccination Roundtable.

Interested funding partners can support this important work by getting in touch with us.

Quick Facts

The biggest predictor of HPV vaccination uptake is an effective recommendation from a health care provider.

The ACIP, ACS, AAP, AAFP, and many other national organizations recommend that girls and boys get vaccinated against HPV at age 11 and 12. The series can be started as early as age 9 and should be completed by age 13.